Kerry O. FurlaniPoultney, VT

“Slate is a perfect fit for my passion for mark-making and lines,” says sculptor Kerry O. Furlani. “Over the years, my understanding and affection for the material has deepened. I learned when to tread softly with my tools, and when it is safe to give the chisel a mighty blow.” “The theme of the Wedlock Series came out of my crumbling marriage. I used stories of strong women in mythology as a vehicle for my imagery. These ancient tales, so rich in drama and symbolism, fascinate me. Visually, each holds a explicit theme that offers a specific palette of symbols from which I can play and burrow and dig deeply. I resonated with Demeter’s loss and fury.”“The Wedlock Series: The Lost Hymn of Demeter is the first of four in a series. The slate is gray and shows weathering in its expressive patina, which originally covered the entire top layer of the stone. I picked up this tile in Steve Taran’s slate yard in Poultney, Vermont on a palette of bundled slate in a section of his yard I had never explored. It was a true treasure to discover a roofing tile of such size and thickness that was also weathered and mostly intact.” “I am often drawn to slate that shows interesting coloring and time-worn patinas. The longer a slate piece has been sitting above ground, oftentimes, the more beautiful its 'skin.’ But this beauty comes with a price. A slate piece that has been sitting above ground a long time can also lose its carving integrity. The layering of the composition may be loose and airy and, when carving, on the verge of disintegrating. Or the piece has been exposed to so many cycles of freezing temperatures it no longer has consistent layers and may reveal unpredictable pockets of what I call, 'mush,' a challenge for carving. It’s also important to learn to look for fault lines (checks) within the piece which, if present, will compromise anyone’s carving. Wetting the stone can reveal these fractures.” “What also fuels me carving slate in this region is the geographic wonder often missed by those who live here: the slate valley of the Vermont-New York border contains the widest range of slate color anywhere in the world. More subtly, but over time, I have learned that each color has a different degree of hardness. The greens, purples and mottled are softer, generally, than the greys, blacks and reds.” # # # # #